Two Koreas to hold general-level military talks at Panmunjom next Tuesday

Posted : 2018-07-27 10:49

Updated : 2018-07-27 14:54

South and North Korea have agreed to hold general-level military talks next week to discuss measures to enforce the military part of their April summit agreement, Seoul's defense ministry said Friday.

The talks will take place at the Peace House, a South Korea-controlled building at the border truce village of Panmunjom, at 10 a.m. on Tuesday.

Pyongyang first proposed the talks, which Seoul accepted later, the ministry said.

Major Gen. Kim Do-gyun will lead South Korea's five-member delegation, while the North Korean side will be represented by Lt. Gen. An Ik-san.

The two sides are expected to discuss measures to build confidence and seek arms control, such as disarming the Joint Security Area in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, and withdrawing troops and equipment from border guard posts.

The agenda could also include the idea of a joint project to excavate the remains of troops in the DMZ, who were killed during the 1950-53 Korean War.

Some observers said that the militaries could also discuss the summit agreement to turn the Northern Limit Line, a de facto sea border, into a peace zone to prevent accidental clashes in front-line waters, which have long been a flashpoint.

The last such talks were held on June 14, for the first time in more than a decade, at Panmunjom. At the time, the two sides agreed to completely restore their military communication lines.

After their April 27 summit, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un issued the Panmunjom Declaration that called for joint efforts to alleviate military tensions and "practically eliminate the danger of war." (Yonhap)